Split Level Homes by Remodeling and Improving the Air Conditioning

Updated on September 20, 2011

Remodeling a split level home can update it. Options include enlarging the front entryway, adding decor to give it more curbside appeal, and remodeling the inside to create a great room. When remodeling, special care should be given to provide adequate Houstonair conditioning.

Copy: One thing most home owners love about owning a split level home is that their bedrooms are in a completely separate section of the house from the living room. This makes it possible for teenagers to have a group of friends over for a sleep over, which doesn’t result in much sleep, while the rest of the family can sleep peacefully without experiencing the noise of the party. At the same time, a split level home is outdated and can contain pockets of bad air conditioning or heating. While heating isn’t a problem in Houston,Houstonair conditioning must be adequate.

Rather than selling a split level home, owners can eliminate many of the disadvantages through remodeling while retaining all the advantages of split level homes. Remodeling a split level home can include can include changing the front entryway, adding on a room, and adding curb appeal details.

Split level homes were, surprisingly, designed by the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. With the housing boom of the 1950s and the 1960s, split level homes took off and infiltrated most of the country. The intent of this style was to build homes quickly and economically. Thus, paying attention to the extra details that provides curb side appeal when building these homes was not considered important. There were few windows in the house; windows are expensive to add to a home. The front facade was plain and often dominated by a garage.

Styles of homes have changed since the 1960s. Windows are a feature of modern homes. There are windows of various sizes and shapes, all designed to bring natural light into the house. Now homes have nice curbside appeal. Garages are often disguised with windows that match the rest of the house. The front facade is decorated with brick work and porches, columns and pillars. Functionality on the inside of houses has changed, too. Rather than the kitchen, family room, and dining room all sectioned into separate rooms, the great room has taken hold. Great rooms combine the kitchen, dining nook, and family room. They are designed to accommodate families’ desires to mingle, socialize, entertain, and eat together in a more casual fashion.

The split level home incorporates very few of these more modern design choices. While home owners may not want to knock out the front walls of their homes to add large circular windows or French doors, there are still many things that can be done to make the front more appealing. You can make a small addition to the front entryway. Split level entryways are cramped and uninviting. Making a larger entryway, opens the entrance to homes, making them more inviting to those coming to the house. To this you can add a porch with pillars and decorated windows. Other facades can be added such as patterned brickwork on the front. In addition, small bay windows can be added right in the slot of the existing window.

Once the outside is done, it’s time to tackle the inside. Adding a great room to the house requires more involved remodeling than simply enlarging the front entryway. The traditional style of a split level home has the kitchen and living room in separate sides of the house. Bringing these together may require relocating either the kitchen or the living room and putting an addition on the house adjoining the new room. The size and shape of the lot the house sits on will determine where this addition can be placed as well as its size. An architect who specializes in home remodeling can help design the new floor plan. Home owners shouldn’t be afraid to explore various alternatives. This is the fun part where they get to design just the home they’ve always wanted. Dream big and cut back later as needed.

While consulting with an architect, home owners should consider the effectiveness and efficiency of their current air conditioning units. Split level homes have notoriously had pockets where the air conditioning does not reach, leaving the room too hot and humid. Other pockets of air conditioning would tend to leave a room much colder than desired. These pockets of unwanted air temperatures come because of the split design.

Because of these issues, consult with aHoustonair conditioningcompany. These companies are specialists in air conditioning in the tropical climate of Houston. Air conditioning services have developed a great deal since the split level homes were being built in great large quantities. Air conditioning units are more efficient and effective than they used to be. As they have change, they have also been forced to adapt to new environmental and building codes designated by the city. These companies know the latest requirements and designs on air conditioning units.

Representatives fromHoustonair conditioningcompanies will come to visit the split level home and make an assessment. After viewing the current system and looking at the remodel plans, they can give advice about what to do. They can tell home owners if their current system would be adequate to handle the remodeled portion of the house, if a new system should be installed, or if a completely separate second system should be installed covering one side of the house and leaving the old system on the other side. With these recommendations and after consultation with the home owners, they will give estimates. Most likely, they can give estimates for two or three different options, allowing the home owners the flexibility to chose what works for them and their budget and new design.

While it would certainly be fun to buy a brand new home, budget constraints, the price of land, and the current housing market in Houston are barriers of this option. Remodeling an older split level home can give the feel of a new home and increase its functionality to meet the demands of the modern family. Remodeling can be simple to complex. One idea is enlarging and adding onto the front entryway to make it more inviting. A second idea is to add décor to the front of the house by adding such things as pillars, new brick work, different windows or window dressing. A final idea is to add on a room to either the kitchen or living room and create a great room. This idea is more costly and complex, yet perhaps the best change. While remodeling, an important aspect, especially with Houston’s tropical climate, is to pay particular attention to the details of Houston Air Conditioning.

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